When the first season of the BBC series “Luther” flashed across TV screens in 2010, viewers quickly realized: Britain has a new (anti)hero! For 20 episodes (across five seasons of varying lengths), DCI John Luther (played by Idris Elba) chased the worst criminals the London underground has to offer through narrow and gloomy alleyways – eventually putting them under lock and key.
But Luther is anything but a classic cop: his big heart for the victims makes him resort to procedures that are questionable and anything but legal. He uses his contacts in the underworld and the mafia, thinks out of the box and always works unconventionally. Elba stars as Luther, seemingly qualifying him for an even more famous role: James Bond!
Daniel Craig has finished his last Bond movie and the search for his sequel has been going on for quite some time. When it comes to Bond casting, Elba’s name keeps popping up. But the Brit has absolutely no interest in the role – and that is indeed addressed in the new ‘Luther’ film on Netflix.
“Luther: The Fallen Sun” and the “pointy middle finger” for James Bond
Elba has repeatedly confirmed in interviews that he has no interest in becoming the next Bond. Yet somehow the casting rumors pointing in that direction don’t end there. In his new Netflix film Luther: The Fallen Sun, which is more or less a continuation of the popular BBC series Luther, Elba and screenwriter Neil Cross, they give their own subtle take on the Bond franchise, which many viewers of the film may not have even noticed.
What is James Bond’s favorite drink? Correct: martini – shaken, not stirred. In The Fallen Sun, when DCI Luther sits down at a bar to plan his next moves, he asks the waiter what he would like to drink. “A long day calls for a martini,” he replies. Luther refused without batting an eyelid and ordered a water.
In an interview with Radio Times (via ) Cross revealed that he posted this dialogue as “a middle finger and a wink” in reference to the “Bond” franchise – because “Luther” is just better. Elba also explained that at first he wasn’t sure if this prank was too cheeky. On the other hand, he wanted to emphasize that he had said ‘no’ to the successor ‘Bond’ for years and that it would remain so.
Incidentally, for Elba, Luther and Bond are just two completely different characters, and asking if the commissioner is better than the secret agent makes no sense: “Luther is charming and just as sexy and wonderful. But Bond comes from the world of espionage. Luther is more of a world where you knock on the door and yell, “Are you in there? I’m coming right now!””.
If you want to see Elba in action as an unconventional police officer, you can find the series “Luther” and the movie “Luther: The Fallen Sun” on Netflix.